Cooling system

ABSTRACT

Cooling element, with multiple cooling disks ( 16, 17 ) arranged in an array to restrict flow interspaces for the air to be cooled. Cooling disks ( 16 ) extending to the inlet side for the air to be cooled, and shorter cooling disks ( 17 ) not extending to the inlet side, are arranged alternating order.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a cooling element. More specifically, itrelates to a cooling element with a number of cooling disks beingassembled to provide restricted interspaces for air to be cooled.

When assembling cooling elements with disks or lamellas arranged in anair flow to be cooled, it is important to have an efficient exchangebetween air and metal. The distance between the cooling disks is adaptedto the manufacturing, typically without optimization relative to thesize.

For some purposes, the available space is restricted, requiring compactcooling elements.

SUMMARY

The main object of the invention is to provide a cooling element havinghigher efficiency than corresponding prior art cooling elements.

This design provides a substantial increase in cooling and lowering thetemperature of air passing through such a cooling element. This isbelieved to be due to an increased degree of collision at the coolingdisks due to the stepwise constriction of the width of the air slots.

More details will be given in the following description of embodimentsof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention, with acooling element with disks on cooling tubes, while

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged section of the disks of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1 a cooling element 11 with end sections 12 and 13 is shown.Between the end sections 12 and 13, two U-shaped cooling tubes 14 and 15connected to conduct a cooling medium are arranged. The cooling tubes 14and 15 carry an array of cooling disks (lamella) 16 and 17 arranged inalternating order. The cooling lamella 16 extend over the total heightof the cooling elements 11, and are connected to the cooling tubes 14,15, while the remaining cooling lamella 17 extend half as far as thecooling lamella 16 and are mounted on the lower cooling tubes 14. Theinterspace between the cooling lamella is 9 millimeters in the upperpart and 2.5-3 millimeters in the lower part. This means a substantialreduction of the interspaces relative to prior art cooling elements.This provides an increase in the heat transfer. The reason for thisincrease in efficiency is not clear, but it is believed to be due to thelower interspace creating increased molecular motion and consequentlyincreased collisions between the air molecules.

Air molecules being cooled at the transfer from the wider to thenarrower interspaces are believed to be getting an increased specificweight and thus have an increased fall velocity and simultaneouslyoscillate more slowly and create fewer collisions with the succeedingneighbouring molecules.

A reduction of the lamella interspace to lower than about 2.5millimeters will increase the risk of icing and clogging.

The cooling element 11 of the example has a vertical orientation of theinterspaces, with a gravitational air flow. The cooling elementaccording to the example can also be used in a forced flow coolingsystem with a fan. This provides more versatility.

The cooling element 11 according to the invention may be used forvarious cooling purposes, for technical uses and in housings andoffices. As shown in FIG. 1, such cooling element is suitable to besuspended as at 18, over goods 19 to be cooled.

It is also possible to achieve corresponding advantages with otherarrangements of stepwise restricted interspaces. Two or more shortlamella can be used between each pair with full extension. Or multiplesteps can be arranged, provided the narrowest interspaces are in therange 2.5 to 3 millimeters.

1.-4. (canceled)
 5. A system for cooling objects by chilling ambientair, comprising: a cooling element supported in ambient air over objectsto be cooled, said cooling element having an ambient air inlet at anelevation above an elevation of a cooled air outlet, whereby a coolingspace is provided between said inlet and said outlet; an upper tubespanning the cooling space adjacent the inlet and a lower tube spanningthe cooling space adjacent the outlet, a first array of a plurality oflaterally spaced apart cooling lamella extending in said cooling spacefrom the outlet to the inlet and connected to the upper and lower tubes,a second array of a plurality of laterally spaced apart cooling lamellaextending in said cooling space part way from the outlet to the inletand connected to the lower tube but not the upper tube, wherein thelamella of the first and second arrays are arranged such that relativelybroader lateral interspaces are formed between lamella of the firstarray adjacent the inlet and relatively narrower lateral interspaces areformed between lamella of the first and second arrays adjacent theoutlet; a cooling medium passing through the tubes for cooling thelamella and thereby cooling the air in the cooling space; whereby saidcooling of the air in said cooling space decreases the volume of the airin said space, thereby inducing a continuous, gravity driven passiveflow of increasingly cooled air which falls downward through saidcooling space from the inlet to the outlet, where the cooled air exitsthe cooling element and falls onto the objects.
 6. The system of claim5, wherein the cooled air falls straight down toward the objects, fromthe outlet.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the lamella of the secondarray are arranged in alternating order with the lamella of the firstarray.
 8. The system of claim 5, wherein at least two lamella of thesecond array are arranged between successive lamella of the first array.9. The system of claim 5, wherein the lamella of the first array extenda first distance through the cooling space, the lamella of the secondarray extend a second, shorter distance through the cooling space, and athird array of a plurality of laterally spaced apart cooling lamellaextend in said cooling space from the outlet part way to the inlet ashorter distance than said second distance, and are connected to thelower tube but not the upper tube, thereby providing stepwise narrowingof interspaces.
 10. The system of claim 5, wherein the objects aregoods.
 11. The system of claim 5, wherein the lamella of the first arrayextend a first distance through the cooling space, and the lamella ofthe second array extend a second, shorter distance through the coolingspace, which second distance is one-half the first distance.
 12. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein all interspaces at the outlet are in therange of 2.5-3 millimeters.
 13. The system of claim 5, wherein thecooling element is suspended over goods to be cooled.
 14. A system forcooling an object by chilling ambient air, comprising: a cooling elementsuspended in ambient air over an object to be cooled, said coolingelement having horizontally spaced apart, vertically extending lateralend sections, each lateral end section having an upper end and a lowerend, wherein air in said space between the end sections is to be cooled,an ambient air inlet at the upper end and a cooled air outlet at thelower end, an upper tube supported by the end sections and horizontallyspanning the space adjacent the inlet and a lower tube supported by theend sections and horizontally spanning the space adjacent the outlet, afirst array of a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, verticallyoriented cooling lamella extending in said space from the outlet to theinlet and connected to the upper and lower tubes, a second array of aplurality of horizontally spaced apart, vertically oriented coolinglamella extending in said space from the outlet part way to the inletand connected to the lower tube but not the upper tube, wherein thelamella of the first and second arrays are horizontally arranged suchthat relatively broader interspaces are formed between successivelamella of the first array adjacent the inlet and relatively narrowerinterspaces are formed between lamella of the first and second arrayadjacent the outlet; a cooling medium passing through the tubes forcooling the lamella and thereby cooling the air in the space between theend sections; whereby said cooling of the air in said space increasesthe specific weight of the air in said space, thereby inducing acontinuous, gravity driven passive flow of increasingly cooled air whichfalls downward through said space from the inlet to the outlet, wherethe cooled air exits the cooling element and falls onto the goods. 15.The system of claim 14, wherein all interspaces at the outlet are in therange of 2.5-3 millimeters.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein thecooling element is stationary over the object.
 17. A system for coolinggoods by chilling ambient air, comprising: a stationary cooling elementsuspended in ambient air over goods to be cooled, said cooling elementhaving horizontally spaced apart, vertically extending lateral endsections, each lateral end section having an upper end and a lower end,wherein air in said space between the end sections is to be cooled, anambient air inlet at the upper end and a cooled air outlet at the lowerend, an upper tube supported by the end sections and horizontallyspanning the space adjacent the inlet and a lower tube supported by theend sections and horizontally spanning the space adjacent the outlet, afirst plurality of horizontally spaced apart, vertically longer coolingdisks extending in said space from the outlet to the inlet and connectedto the upper and lower tubes, a second plurality of horizontally spacedapart, vertically shorter cooling disks extending in said space from theoutlet part way to the inlet and connected to the lower tube but not theupper tube, wherein the longer and shorter disks are horizontallyarranged in arrays such that relatively broader interspaces are formedbetween successive cooling disks adjacent the inlet and relativelynarrower interspaces are formed between successive disks adjacent theoutlet; a cooling medium passing through the tubes for cooling the disksand thereby cooling the air in the space between the end sections;whereby said cooling of the air in said space induces a continuous,gravity driven passive flow of increasingly cooled air which fallsdownward through said space from the inlet to the outlet, where thecooled air exits the cooling element and falls onto the goods.